a big day for same sex couples across maryland. today they can finally get marriage licenses. a gun goes off in a hospital emergency room and police are still looking into exactly how this could have happened. with the flip of a switch. mount vernon will be lit up for the holidays. we have a preview on december 6th, "good morning maryland," i'm charlie crowson. >> and i'm megan pringle, you need to know whether you need to bundle up. >> always indeed. lynette standing by with a check of the forecast. things have churned. >> you see my hands in my pockets already. that's what you need to do this morning because it is very cold

outside. the temperatures have plummeted. we're talking about the 20s in bel air this morning. 29 degrees to be exact. and as we look at chestertown that temperature coming in at 33 and 37 in towson. under mainly clear skies right now. we are under a dry sky. maryland's most powerful radar is going to stay that way as we head through time. and with that we will get plenty of sunshine in here for today. but that sunshine is not going to warm us up at all today. we are cold this morning. we will stay that way right through the day and lunchtime temperature coming in at 42 degrees. let's get a check now of the abc2 timesaver traffic with lauren cook. good morning. how are the roads looking? good morning lynette. so far so good out on 95. here in white marsh it's going to take you just 14 minutes traveling southbound from 695 into the city. no problems to report on the beltway from parkville all the way up to towson. traffic moving along at liberty road. 11 minutes altogether to travel the outer loop from 795 down to

95. up in hunt valley, no problems to report here on the harrisburg expressway. nice and clear from shawan road all the way down to 695. that's a look at your abc2 timesaver traffic. megan and charlie, over to you. breaking news a man is dead this morning after a two alarm fire broke out in his home. this happened in jacksonville and the 5600 block of sweet air road just after midnight. there were no fire hydrants near that home so the water had to be shuttled in. the fire was under control around 2:30 this morning. two firefighters were hospitalized with minor injuries. many couples have been waiting a lifetime for this day. today same sex couples can get married in our state. now even though they're going to have the chance they won't likely be able to tie the knot until january 1st when the law goes into effect. the governor is expected to formally ratify the election results allowing the clerks to hand out marriage licenses today. the clerk of courts can choose not to issue licenses until

january 2nd. in washington state, same sex couples can also get their marriage licenses today. the governor there signed the law into effect yesterday. a few counties issued the first wedding certificates one minute after midnight because there was a three day waiting period. and a big honor for one of the baltimore ravens. "gq" magazine named the linebacker an honorary gay of the year. back in august, he donated a pair of tickets to same sex marriage fundraiser. he was harshly criticized for doing so. minnesota vikings punter chris clue also awarded with the honor. he's been very outspoken in his support of equal rights for same sex couples. seven weeks after suffering a torn tricep back on the practice field. lewis won't take the field sunday against rg3 and the redskins. we won't expect to see him play

though until december 16th. that's when peyton manning and the broncos comes calling. terrell suggs is going to be a game-time decision. police are trying to figure out exactly how a police officer's service weapon was fired inside an emergency room at st. joe's in towson. investigators say a baltimore county police officer was guarding a prisoner in the emergency room yesterday afternoon. a member of the hospital staff noticed the prisoner had a needle hidden in his clothing. well, there was a struggle and the prisoner tried to grab the hospital employee. when the officer tried to help, the prisoner went for the officer's gun. >> the prisoner attempted to take her weapon. there was a struggle over the gun. and at some point, the weapon discharged firing a shot into the wall. >> other officers were in the hospital and stepped in to stop that suspect. no one was injured. there were a had the of bad guys -- a lot of bad guys with guns in baltimore city this

year. in the police department it made its 1,000th gun arrest this year. officers were responding to a home invasion in the 3700 block of manchester avenue in northwest baltimore. the man arrested had a semiautomatic handgun on him. the mayor says this was a further calm for action. not -- call for action. not a cause for celebration. they are trying to make the city one of the safest in the country. regarding a neighborhood surrounding johns hopkins university, the president of the college along with the mayor will be on hand to talk about recommendations to improve that area. the new plan comes after last year's homewood community partners initiative brought together community members and the university to come up with ways to help north baltimore continue thriving. well, in an effort to improve schools administrators talked to those people attending them. baltimore county school superintendent went to the students to ask for their suggestions. dr. dallas dance held a town hall meeting with about 60 county high school students.

they got a chance to ask their superintendent direct questions. >> we want to get our kids the opportunity to actually say this is my life. what do i need to do in order to accomplish the plan? if that plan is not in place, nothing is going to happen. it's a little late in high school but at the same time this was the audience i had. still having the conversations about drafting that plan for your life. >> superintendent dance is also engaging students through social media. they were able to submit questions through twitter and through facebook. there are 19 shopping days left until christmas and tonight will look a little more festive outside of the white house. the national christmas tree lighting ceremony takes place. president obama, first lady michelle obama. their two daughters are going to flick the switch to illuminate the 30-foot spruce. now neil patrick harris will kick off the ceremony at 4:30. musical guests this year include the fray, jason mraz and james taylor. it will be live streamed by the national park service at thenationaltree.org.

closer to home the annual monument liking will take place this year. webb gets the honor of flipping the switch. there will be performances by local choirs and plenty of things to eat while you wait for the lights to come on. they get started at 6:00 and highlights and the fireworks come on at 7:45. >> taking the kids out. 6:00 leading up to 7:45. bring a jacket? >> my guess is yes, a jacket and then some lynette? >> not the jacket guys but the coat. the warm heavy coat. as you step out this morning and keep it around throughout the day because we're going to have the temperatures that are well below average. that cold front moved through yesterday with that we are dealing with a northwesterly flow. a very cold flow. we have those clear skies. we have to really zoom out to get some type of weather. snow back off towards the north and west. but you know what? that won't be making it into our area. just be dealing with the cold temperatures this morning talking about 31 degrees right

now in cockeysville and 28 ohm mittsburg right now. -- ohm metsburg right now. -- ohm mittsburg right now. federal hill versus capitol hill, what do you prefer? the travel channel wants to know and is doing a special show comparing the two. they're going to be taping tomorrow morning at cross street market from 9:00 until 11:00. if you want to show your charm city pride head over there. and you're not going to be outdone by d.c.. this is the chance to basically show your baltimore pride. we can't talk or text while you're driving and now an extreme law to cut back on even more distracted driving. >> what one state is now banning from doing behind the wheel in an effort to prevent future crashes. >> and for the first time, we hear from the family of the man killed on the subway tracks. >> and the holiday bills, they are piling up. one less thing to pay for would be nice. a secret santa just took care of 20 families, we'll have more on that stuffing story.

>> megan and charlie. everything to up to speed here on 83 at york road. i'll let you know what traffic looks like on 93 and the beltway coming up on "good morning maryland."

the suspect has been arraigned in the death of a man that was pushed on to the subway tracks in new york. police took naim davis into custody on the same day the family of the victim ki suk han talked to the prez. han was struck by a train and killed. his family is thankful for the outpouring of support from the city but now they would like to mourn the loss in private. >> our family is grieving now. but we want to thank everyone who has reached out to us and offered their help. we are suffering in sorrow. but we have the support of our family, friends and our church to help us through this time. >> davis is charged with murder, detectives say he told them that han was bothering him and wouldn't leave him hi loan.

the aurora, colorado movie theater where a gunman opened fire in july will reopen next year. the city says it will begin opening to the public on january 18th. before that reopening family members of shooting victims will be allowed inside. they plan to run free movies for the public for the first few days. 12 people were killed and 58 others were injured. a secret santa decides to spread some cheer by paying off some people's layaway accounts in arizona. >> the secret santa walked in ready to shell out dough for customers' christmas layaway bills. he focused on customers trying to pay off toys. he ended up paying off layaway bills for 20 wal-mart customers and even workers were left speechless. >> it's emotional for us too. i mean, you know, some of the people that i work in leiaway when these individuals come to

pick up their layaways they're crying and they tell their story and it gets my own centers kind of choke -- associates kind of chokes up. >> lynette you can't get enough of these stories this time of year. >> exactly you know this is what we live that. and also temperatures are more seasonable now. and meaning that it's colder. and it should be cold this time of the year. so a lot of people liking this and then we'll have sunshine in here as well. so it's pretty much a win/win situation. 30 degrees right now in perry hall. easton at 35 degrees this morning. make sure you do have the big warm coat before you head out the door. we haven't had to use that in a few days. high pressure is going to be our friend for today. and if you like the sunny weather that's exactly what you're going to see. except though with the high pressure we are going to get that clockwise flow around it that's going to be bringing in a northwesterly flow. so we are going to feel much colder today and it is going to be much colder today as well. now the future trend not going

to be picking up on a whole lot for today but we will begin to see the clouds increasing as we go through the overnight. and by tomorrow, we'll have more clouds around. and we will have a chance for a scattered shower in the forecast especial little as we go into the afternoon. your rush hour commute could be a little bit on the wet side but again not a lot of rain with the next system rolling through. for today though 44 degrees mostly sunny and colder. tonight 33 and increasing cloud cover. it will be cold though. and 50 degrees by tomorrow. mostly cloudy. showers are possible scattered in nature. and this is what the seven day forecast looks like. the cold temperatures will continue right into friday but yes, we have another warm mild warmup on the way. and then temperatures will drop right back down as we head over into tuesday and also into wednesday. let's get a check now of the abc2 timesaver traffic with lauren cook. good morning. good morning lynette. bring on the 60s. too cold out there for me this morning. if you are traveling in howard county nothing to get in the

way. nice and clear from columbia pike all the way over to 695. and traffic is moving right along right now on the west side of the beltway. you're looking at normal conditions as you travel from 795 down to route 40. this is where the beltway looks like in parkville at harford road, no delays as you do travel up to towson. and for those of you using 95 to get downtown, here's what it looks like right at 395. no problems getting through the fort mchenry tunnel it will be nice and clear. that's a look at your abc2 timesaver traffic. megan and charlie, over to you. if you've gotten a speeding ticket in baltimore but swear you were driving safely, you may be right. >> the city right now is investigating false speed camera tickets and baltimore city council president jack young says they're going to figure out what went wrong. >> we're going to make sure that we're having a hearing that we going to get to the bottom of it and hopefully those efficiencies -- deficiencies that are in place will be corrected. right now you know the camera is having some kind of the

glitch that we're told. but what kind of glitch, i really don't know. >> young says anyone hit with improper tickets will be reimbursed and you should have already been notified if you wrongly received a camera ticket. put down that cell phone. and put down to breakfast sandwich. a city in south dakota has approved a tough new ban on distracted driving. you should the new law -- under the new law you can get a ticket if you're eating, reading the paper or putting makeup on while you're driving. texting while driving is the primary offense. you're going to be fined $100 if you're caught. now if the law too extreme? what do you think? just head to the facebook fan page and weigh in and let us know what you think. eating reading and putting on makeup. >> who reads and drives? >> common sense. common. all eyes are on syria this morning as more reports surface they're using chemical weapons. >> we have the very latest details on this story including what the u.s. plans to do

should syria plan to use the chemical weapons. >> take a look at the screen. if you have this instant recliner there's a new warning out there morning about the -- this morning about the nap nanny.

news time now 4:4. the world is -- 4:49. the world is watching syria this morning with the fears that the country has bombs loaded with gas. it is extremely toxic. just a tiny drop can kill a person in a matter of minutes. it can trigger reaction from the u.s.. >> we have sent an unmistakable message that this would cross a red line and those responsible would be held to account. >> the syrian regime has been careful not to confirm it has those weapons. officials believe pressure on the current government is mounting. opposition forces are making gains that could eventually trigger a shift in the conflict. the u.s. state department believes the fighting is growing closer to president assad. the u.s. is looking into reports that assad's

representatives are trying to find a place for him to go into exile. as protestors battle supporters in the egyptian president mohammed morsi outside his palace, his chief of staff announced the president would address the nation later today. it came hours after demonstrations erupted into violence last night over morsi's assumption of sweeping powers last night. at least five people died in fighting overnight and meanwhile the military employed a handful of tanks into the streets. and parents listen up. a popular infant recliner is being flagged as dangerous. take a look at what we're talking about. it's called the nap nanny and the u.s. consumer products safety commission is taking action against the company that makes it. it poses a serious risk for death or injury to infants. so far five infant deaths have been reported and the agency wants in order to require the company to notify the public about a serious product defect and offers a consumer a full

refund. what was the last time you used a pay phone? probably been a while and new york city mayor michael bloomberg wants to give them a high-tech makeover. he is launching to a reinvent pay phones and they must create their ideas on the city website and create a prototype. 15 semifinalists will be selected to demonstrate their ideas in march. pay phones proved to be critical in the aftermath of sandy. some already offer free public wi-fi. merriam-webster has the top words of 2012. the words socialism and capitalism share the top spot. editors speculate this is likely because of debates around the presidential election. also on the list were mularkey which join said in his president -- joe biden said in his presidential debate. you can find the full list on abc2news.com. we ought to do the same thing for weather words. derecho is at the top of my

list. >> back in june. but nothing like that for today guys. we're going to be nice and quiet. it's going to be calm out there. so we will be able to take a breath. we can see on maryland's most powerful radar is dry right now. we have all the sweeps on, we are scanning the skies this morning. we are working for you. and we are going to stay dry with lots of sunshine in the forecast as we head throughout the day. if you are driving to the airport this morning, well i have that customized forecast for you. look at it temperature coming in at 31 degrees. it's cold this morning. make sure you bundled up and you dress in layers. you're going to want to keep the layers on throughout the day today. the dew point very dry with the northwesterly flow rather and we have a very calm wind right now. no fog to talk about this morning. visibility not an issue. sunrise at 7:12 and that sunset at 4:44 p.m. as the kids head to school this morning it's going to be a cold one. 31 degrees and lots of sunshine. the sunshine is not going to warm us up at all for today.

once they come home from school the big coat they had on in the morning they'll need it this afternoon. it's going to be still chilly with the temperature coming in at 44 degrees. let's get a check now of the abc2 timesaver traffic with lauren cook. good morning. good morning lynette. definitely a very, very cold start to the morning. but fortunately no delays here on hunt valley. nice and clear on 83 from shawan road down to 695. as we check in and take a look at downtown baltimore, there are no problems right now traveling through the fort mchenry tunnel. and as we check in and take a look at the abc2 timesaver traffic drive times, you'll notice the beltway free of the delays on the east side. you're looking at just 11 minutes on the outer loop from 95 all the way up to 83. and things will remain nice and normal over on the west side of beltway. going to take you 11 minutes as well to travel the outer loop from 795 all the way down to 95. megan and charlie, over to you. five things to know today. new jersey governor chris christie will travel to washington, d.c. to ask for sandy aid. and later tonight he's going to join jon stewart on "the daily

show." >> people can now legally possess and smoke pot in washington state beginning today. adults can have up to an ounce of marijuana but they cannot smoke it in public. >> a new pantlyland opens up in the -- fantasyland opens up in the park. the park is adding places like the village, journey to the little mermaid and be our guest restaurant. >> a big donation for komen maryland today. the anne arundel county firefighters are giving the group $10,000 for all breast cancer awareness month. the firefighters wore special pink uniform shirts adorned with the well-known pink ribbon. >> the 55th anniversary of the whopper, you can get the burger for just 55 cents. the deal is good today through sunday but keep in mind you have to buy another whopper at full price first to get the deal on the burger. >> the suicide spiked during the holidays is just not true. th